Air-lift pump



Dec. 20, 1927.

J. OLIPHANT AIR LIFT PUMP Filed Dec. 1'7, 1923 Patented Dec. 20,1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

JOHN mm, 0] CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, LBBIGNQB lO SULLIVAN MACHINERY CO!- PAHY, A CORPORATION 01' XABSLGHUBE'LIS.

Application ma December 1?, 192:. Serial No. 001,132.

My invention relates to liquid pumps, and more particularly to that class of pumps known as air lifts.

It has for an object to provlde an im- 6 proved air lift pumping Hit 36118318111. 'Another object of m lnventlon 1s provide an improved air li t 3mm provldmg an mproved means for istri uting the pumping fluid at the base of a column of iquid in such manner as to reduce the required submergence. A further object of my invention is to provide means whereby the actuating fluid will assist in the actuat on of the distributing means so that a relatively sun- 16 ple distributing member may be used, but which will distribute the fluid through a relatively large column of water. A still further object is to provide an improved structure wherein the actuating fluid will, aside from directly assisting in the l1ft1ng of the liquid to be gumped, also provide, due to its reaction on t e fluid pumped, a certa n amount of mechanical energy to assist in lifting the column of fluid. Still another object is to have the improved distributing means so constructed that the water flowing into the well may if desired assist in distributing the actuating fluid.

In the accompanying drawings I have for purposes of illustration shown a plurality of forms which my invention may assume in practice.-

In these drawings,- Fig. 1 is an elevational view shown partly in section. of the improved distributing means positioned within a well casing.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of .the improved distributing means taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of %ie propeller blade taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional detail of the supporting means for the propeller.

- Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a per ective view partly in section and taken su antially on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a modified form of the discharge orts. p In my improved type of. air lift I propose to distribute the actuating fluid throughout the column of water within the well casing 1 by a movable member 2 which in one illustrative embodiment of my invention consists of a propeller having blades 3, this propeller being rotatably mounted upon the lower end of the air supply line 4 positioned centrally in the casing 1 and held therein by suitable bracket means 4. The member 2 can if desired be disposed above the natural flow inlet to the casing 1 as shown in Fi 1, in which case the in-flow of the water wllltend to assist in the rotation of the member 2. It will be rioticed that this member is shown as comprising two vanes sha ed similarly to ordinary ropeller blades, but it will be of course an stood that any number of blades ma be used that is desired.

v y suitable means may be emplo ed to rotatably support the propeller upon t e end of the pipe. One construction among others which can be employed is shown in Fig. 4 as comprlsinga collar 6 screw threaded on the pipe 4 and having an annular groove 7 to receive the annulus 8 of the sleeve member forming a hub 9 which is fastened to the propeller by any suitable means. Obviously the sleeve member or hub 9 can be split or so constructed as to be readily positioned within the annular ace. If desirable, in order that the propel er might easily rotate, ball bearings 10 can be disposed between the collar 6 and the hub. To prevent excessive air leakage between the joints of the members suitable packing may be employed between any of the adjacent surfaces.

In order that the actuating fluid might assist in making a more perfect emulsion and also to cause some of its pressure energy to be transformed into mechanical lifting power, a plurality of ports 11 are disposed in the rearward edge of the propeller blades. These ports communicate with longitudinal passages 12 disposed one in each blade, which passages terminate at their inner ends in a chamber 13 that communicates with the hollow supply pipe 4.

In fine operation of this device the actuating fluid will flow through the passages 12 and out through the ports 11, thereby causing rotation of the blades due to the reaction of the actuating fluid issuing from the ports 11 which act as jets. It will be noted in Fig. 2 that these ports are disposed on opposite sides of the blades. whereby the reaction force from each blade will tend to rotate the propeller in the same direction as indicated by the arrow A. It will thus be seen that as the ropeller rotates the actuating fluid will Be distributed throughout the column of water and will at the same time cause the blades to assist in the lifting of the fluid. It is thereby possible to transform part of the pressure energy of the actuating fluid into mechanical ener which latter energy is not totally lost for it in turn performs two functions, namely, assisting in the lifting of the water to be pumped due to the inclination of the blades and also due to the rotation the actuating fluid is distributed throughout the column of water.

It may be desired to cause the propeller blade to have different speeds of rotation depending u on the viscosity of the liquid to be pumpe For instance, in a liquid of high viscosity, the jets 11 might be disposed so that they would discharge in substantial: ly a horizontal direction which would impart to the propeller the maximum zontal force ossible to cause rotation. In a li'uid of ow' viscosity the orts could be directed so that they would ischarge in an inclined direction in which case the reaction force would have a horizontal component of force to cause rotation of the propeller which would be less than the original force. The speed of rotation would be reduced. The speed of rotation oi the ropeller can of course be changed by var F mg the inclination of the blades. It will plie with actuatin obvious also that vertically discharging jets might be provided and that advantage might e taken of the reaction of the rising column of the liquid pumped on the lower sides of the distributing members to cause rotation of the latter,

In the modified illustrative forms of construction the distributing means for the actuating duidis shown as a stationary spider 15 hav' four arms 16 and dis 'osed centrall wit min the well casin and ing supfluid rom the central suppl pipe 4. is spider is placed, as was t e case with the ropeller, very near the bottom of the wel so that complete pumpin action is obtained from the lowest oss1 le point of discharge and thus none of t e submergence is lost as with the usual discharge means. The arms of this spider are, as shown in Fig. 6, of substantially triangular sha e having the apex ofthe tnangle disposed in a downward direction so that the upward flow of the liquid will not be materially reduced, the upper part of the arms bein rounded 01! so t at very little loss will had due to eddy currents. These arms have longitudinal passages 17 which communicate with the pipe 4 mthe same manner as in the ropeller construction. It will be obvious t at the arms of the spider mifht be made of streamline cross section, desired. PortslSallowtheachori-' tuating fluid to be discharged in an upward directlon b having communication with the passages 1 These orts can of course be replaced by a longit dinal slot 18, in which case there would be a continuous stream of fluid substantially from the hub out to the endof the arms. It will be noted that in either construction the air is discharged directly into the liquid without the necessity of coming into contact with some dispersing surface such as may discharge means requlre.

While I have in this application specifically described a plum ty of forms which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that these forms of the same are shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

WhatI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An air lift pump comprising a. riser pipe and aeratin means comprising blade members rotatab e and disposed in ahorizontal plane within said riser ipe and rovided with means for disc arging aid from the trailing edge of said blades to cause rotation thereof.

2. In an air lift pump, pumpin fluid discharge means comprlsing a mem er rotatable in planes transverse to the flow of the rising liquid column and havin discharge omfices whose 'ets eliect rotation of said member and aid t e flow of liquid, said member having a surface operative on rotation of said member to impart an upward force to said column. s

3. In an air lift pump, pumping fluid discharge means comprising a member rotatable 1n planes transverse to the flow of the rising liquid column and vhavm discharge orifices whose 'ets efiect rotation of said member and aid t e flow of liquid, said member having a surface. operative on rotation of said member to impart an upward iorce to said column, and a surface upon which the rising column acts to impart a rotative force to said member.

4. An air lift pump comprising a riser pipe and aerating means comprising at least.

one blade member rotatably mounted and dis sed transversely within the riser pipe an provided with means for discharging pumping fluid from said member in a direction to efiect rotation thereof and at points variously spaced from theaxis of rotation, said discharge means acting on rotation of said member to distribute fluid over substantially the total eifective area of said riser pipe.

5. In 'an anlift pump, a riser pipe and means for distributing actuating fluid in said pipe comprising a member mounted for freely rotatable movement and on rotation spaced diflerent distances from its axis of sweepin throu h substantiail the whole rotation, and means for efieeting rotation g g Y 1 transverse area. of said pipe, means for conof said member.

ducting pumping fluid to said member, said In testimony whereof I afiix my signa- 5 member providing means for continuously ture.

discharging pumpin fluid therefrom during rotation thereo at numerous points JOHN OLIPHANT.

freely rotatable movement and on rotation spaced different distances from its axis of sweeping through substantially the whole rotation, and means for effecting rotation transverse area of said pipe, means for conof said member. 10 ducting pumping fluid to said member, said In testimony whereof I afiix my signa- 5 member providing means for continuously ture.

discharging pumpin fluid therefrom during rotation thereo at numerous points JOHN OLIPHANT.

CERTIFICATE or. CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,653,189. Granted December 20, 1927, to

JOHN OLIPHANT.

It is hereby certified that error a ppears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 76, for "tvhiethwttilrd may it'ead Irany"; sand that the said Letters Patent should be read 7 is eorrec ion erein t at the same ma 0 f a case in the Patent Office. y c a mm m the record of the Signed and sealed this 31st day of January, A. D. 1928.

seal J. Moore,

- Acting Comieeioner of Patents.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 1,653,189. Granted December 20, 1927, to

JOHN OLIPHANT.

M. J. Moore,

Seal. Acting Coaini a1 mm of Pat'en ta; 

